Congress Passes Bill to Make Public Epstein Records
The Senate on this Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that will mandate the disclosure of case documents related to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following a overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his Republican allies. The White House gave in after an extended period of trying to delay the cross-party initiative involving a controversy that has followed the president since his return to the White House.
Swift Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which requires approval from each senator but avoids a recorded vote, speeding up the process. Hours earlier, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
Citizens have waited long enough. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have waited patiently,” the top Senate Democrat declared in a floor speech on Tuesday, before urging the chamber to pass it unanimously. “Let the truth come out. Let transparency reign.”
Presidential Signature
The bill next goes to Trump for his approval. The president signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Even though Trump has for an extended period rejected the controversy over the authorities' approach of the scandal as a “false narrative”, he signalled his support for the legislation over the weekend, and announced he would give his assent if it is presented to him.
Support and Opposition
The Democratic party, along with victims and their supporters who were seated in a public section, cheered after the bill was enacted. Lone dissent came from a GOP representative, who stated he worried the measure would make public specific data of witnesses, those under scrutiny and others involved in the investigation.
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